Android Overtakes iOS On Tablets For The First Time – Gartner

Android became the world’s most popular tablet operating system for the first time during 2013, as a 68 percent increase in sales fuelled by demand for cheaper, smaller screen tablets saw it overtake Apple’s iOS.

Worldwide tablet sales reached 195.4 million units last year, with Android shipping on 62 percent, or 120.96 million – more than double the 53.34 million devices which ran Google’s OS and shipped last year, giving it a 45.8 percent share. Windows also made some gains on tablets, as the sales role from 1.16 million to 4.03 million units, but its market share only increased from 1 percent to 2.1 percent, leaving it in third position.

Apple remains second with 70.4 million tablets, more than the 61.46 million it sold in 2012. The company’s overall market share fell from 52.8 percent to 36 percent, but it continues to do well in the premium segment of the market.

Android tablets

“Apple’s tablets remain strong in the higher end of the market and,” says Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner. “Apple’s approach will continue to force vendors to compete with full ecosystem offerings, even in the smaller-screen market as the iPad mini sees a greater share.”

The volume of tablets sold by Samsung increased by 336 percent during 2013, giving it a 19.1 percent market share chiefly thanks to the expansion of its Galaxy Tab range of tablets and strong marketing. Gartner believes the presence of so many different models allowed it to attract users at all price points and test the market. Asus and Amazon secured third and fourth place, but Lenovo did particularly well with sales increasing by 198 percent.

“In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon, with a vast choice of Android-based tablets being within the budget of mainstream consumers while still offering adequate specifications,” adds Cozza. “As the Android tablet market becomes highly commoditized, in 2014, it will be critical for vendors to focus on device experience and meaningful technology and ecosystem value — beyond just hardware and cost — to ensure brand loyalty and improved margins.”

Earlier this month, Gartner revealed that smartphones outsold feature phones for the first time during 2013, with Samsung being the leading manufacturer, followed by Apple. Android dominated smartphone shipments with a 78.4 percent share compared to iOS’ 15.6 percent.

What do you know about the tablets of 2013? Take our quiz!